An Iowa Farm Boy's Odyssey: Priest, Parent, Professor

Were you ever told as a child, “That’s just a kite dream. That will never happen”? Well, this Iowa farm boy’s kite dreams did happen, maybe not all as he expected them to unfold. Sitting on a tree stump, he tethered the string on the kite as it dipped and dived with dreams that would shape his odyssey. Jim Freiburger lived his early years with the dream of being a farmer like his father, absorbed by the world of animals, fields and a culture of Catholic religious practices. Then his kite dreams guided him beyond the fences of the farm. He studied pre-med through high school and college, following a new dream of becoming a doctor. Before that could happen, however, the kite pulled him in a different direction with the string holding fast to his roots. After acceptance into medical school he made an unanticipated decision to enter the Catholic seminary. He saw two of those kite dreams come true during his seminary and priesthood years. He followed the kite to earn a graduate degree at the University of Notre Dame and cheered the Fighting Irish football team. Then he followed another dream and studied at the University of San Francisco. After leaving the priesthood, Jim eventually married, had a family, and followed his dream to live in New England as husband, father and grandfather. Teaching international students greatly expanded his world view and enhanced the values of his Iowa farm boy days. From farm boy to grandfather, to professor, Jim’s kite dreams shaped his unexpected Odyssey.